Waking to a New Life
by aspire2write
Summary: Entry for The Epic T-Rated Contest: Edward takes over his wife's daily work because she isn't feeling well. What happens when he heads to the store while Bella takes a nap? AU/AH, Canon pairings
1. Chapter 1

**The Epic T-Rated Contest :)**

**4/27/09: **So it seems like everyone has had an M rated contest going on. Daddy's Little Cannibal and I decided that we're finished with lemon contests, and want to create an Epic T Rated, One-Shot contest.

The rules are simple:

**1.** No lemons. Must be rated 'T.'

**2.** Has to have a line or reference to a cannibal.

**3**. Has to have a line or reference to a fireman.

**4**. All canon pairings.

**5**. Has to be a one-shot, but is allowed to be continued once the contest is finished.

**6**. Must copy/paste these rules to the top of your submission. Two entries per person. Collaborations acceptable.

**7**. Must PM either Daddy's Little Cannibal or Bronzehairedgirl620 to alert them of your entry so we can add your story to the C2 if it fits the requirements.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Waking to a New Life**_

I was woken suddenly by the sound of something being dropped in the kitchen, the cacophony of sound harsh to my ears. I rolled onto my side and pulled the pillow over my head. The sun streaming in the widow was unusual for Forks. My headache from the night before was still holding on, and the sounds were causing it to intensify. _What is going on? _I hadn't been myself for about a week now. Something felt…off. That was the only way I knew how to explain it.

"Shit!" I smiled as I heard Edward curse from the other room. He rarely cursed so when it slipped it always sounded funny. My eyes scrunched as the dull throb turned sharp. I felt the bed shift as Edward crawled up next to me. His arms circled my waist and pulled me flush against his shirtless chest. I breathed in his comforting scent as I burrowed my face into his neck.

"Good morning," I sighed in contentment.

"Good afternoon, love," he said as he chuckled. I groaned. _Did I just waste the day away?_

"What time is it?"

"It's 1:30." I groaned again and tried to roll over to get up. He held me tighter, refusing to let go. "Are you okay? You've been different this past week." I snuggled in closer to him, wrapping my leg around his hip. _I should be allowed to lounge around on a Saturday._

"I feel off. I don't know what it is." He ran his fingers through my hair as he always did in a show of comfort. "I can't believe I wasted the day. I have so much to do. There's laundry, the kitchen needs cleaned, I need to go to the store. Charlie is expecting us for dinner. I want to make him fried chicken. He's been hinting at it for days. Alice and Jasper want us to babysit little Jackson for the night starting at seven. Emmett and Rose said they would bring Lillian over to play with Jackson for an hour, try to wear him out. I wanted to make some hot wings for Emmett. He's been asking for them for a week now. Then the book needs at least one new chapter before the weekend is over. Then Renee-"

"Love, love, stop." I realized then how worked up I was getting. My breathing was shallow and labored, my heart racing, and I could feel myself shaking slightly. Edward was rubbing soothing circles on my back to calm me. He placed a kiss on the crown of my head. "You're getting too worked up. Be careful. I don't want you having another panic attack.

"I can do the laundry, and the kitchen is almost clean. I figured I woke you up when I dropped the sauté pan. I can go to the store for you. I will call and reschedule dinner with Charlie then-"

"But-"

"No interrupting. I will reschedule dinner with Charlie. You need to rest. I'm afraid you're coming down with something. Jackson can still come over. I know how to handle him. We can have a boy's night after Lillian leaves. Your brother can wait a few days for his hot wings, although they do sound good." I heard his stomach growl and had to laugh. "You can work on the next chapter from bed. I'll bring you your laptop. E-mail your editor and let her know it'll be there in a few days. Okay?"

"I guess." I felt guilty giving him the 'Honey Do' list.

"I really don't mind, love. It's the least I could do."

"But this is my job. You work long, hard hours at the hospital almost every day. You shouldn't have to come home to a list of chores."

He pulled me back to look in my eyes. Even after three years of marriage, I could see and feel the love radiating off him. He had always been the strength I lacked, the anchor in my rapidly changing life. After my first book had been published two years ago, the demand for a sequel was acute. I spent close to ten hours a day writing in an attempt to please those relying on me. Within a few months, I had a spell of writer's block. Out of worry, I began focusing all my attention on the book. I fell ill after that and was admitted to the hospital. I had been so focused on the book I had ignored my own wellbeing.

"Bella," Edward began, "I want to do this. I know I work a lot, but so do you. You have a job as an author and you run this house and keep me happy. Each of those things is a full-time job in and of itself. Do _not_ minimize what you do. I could never do what you do." He leaned forward and gave me a chaste kiss on the lips. "You're amazing." Kiss. "You're wonderful." Kiss. "You're beautiful." Kiss. "You're the best thing to ever happen to me." Kiss. "You're going to let me do this and take care of you." Kiss.

"Okay," I whispered and gave him a lingering kiss. "Could I have some Tylenol? My headache didn't go away." He nodded and kissed me again before getting out of bed.

I raised myself up to lean against the headboard. He brought back two Tylenol and a glass of water. I thanked him before he left the room. He returned with my laptop and lunch. He made chicken salad and sliced fresh fruit for lunch. My stomach had been uneasy recently. He sat with me as we ate. He fed me the cantaloupe and strawberries. I felt the juice from the cantaloupe run down my chin and neck. I reached for a napkin, but his hand stopped me by restraining my wrist.

He slowly leaned forward and licked the juice off my skin. He then placed open mouth kisses on my overheated neck up to my lips. I lightly ran my tongue over his bottom lip, tasting a wonderful mixture of cantaloupe and Edward. I moaned when he opened him mouth to pull me in for a hungry kiss. I placed my arms around his neck, pulling him to me to deepen the kiss. He kissed me with fervor for a few moments before pulling back. His adorable crooked grin reached his twinkling eyes. I scowled at him for stopping which only caused him to laugh. He always said my anger was like a riled up kitten. His laughing made my scowl turn to a pout. He gave me a quick kiss before standing.

"We can continue this later," he said as he gathered everything from lunch. "I'm going to get started on the laundry. I'll come say goodbye before I head to the store. Write a list of the things you can't live without before then so I don't forget anything." I nodded as he left the room.

I turned on the television for background noise and turned my laptop on. I first e-mailed Angela, my editor and old friend from high school, to let her know I would have the new chapter to her by Monday. I then answered an e-mail from Renee, one from Alice, and one from Emmett. Once I started working on the chapter all things around me disappeared. Writing always captured my full attention and this time was no different.

"Love, I'm going to head to the store now," Edward interrupted. I hadn't heard him come in so I jumped when he spoke. He laughed and sat next to me. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay," I answered. "Oh, shoot! I forgot to write you a list. Just give me a minute." He nodded as I began writing.

"You do realize this is a rerun, don't you? I never understood your fascination with this show."

"_Bones_ is a great show, and this is a great episode. This is when they discover that Zach is the Gormagon's apprentice." He looked at me with one eyebrow arched. "You remember; Gormagon, the cannibal."

"Yuck! I'm a doctor, and I can't even stomach this sometimes." I giggled when his face scrunched is disgust.

"Oh, it's all fake. Calm down." I handed the list over.

"I'm off now. I'll be back soon. If you think of anything you left off the list just call me. Try to watch something that's not too disturbing while I'm gone." He grimaced again when he looked at the television. He leaned over and kissed me before leaving.

I took two more Tylenol that were sitting on my night stand. He must have placed them there while I was writing. The headache was dull, but I was feeling very fatigued. I put the laptop on Edward's side of the bed and laid back to take a short nap. Edward would wake me when he returned or before Alice, Jasper, and Jackson arrived. It didn't take long to fall asleep.

When I woke up the first thing I noticed was how dark it was. I could hear a steady beeping coming from somewhere and it was cold. I reached for the comforter but was met by a scratchy sheet instead. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. This was not my bedroom. I looked to my left and saw a heart monitor. Hospital. I was in a hospital. _How did I get here? Why am I here? _I felt an oxygen line at my nose. I looked to find an IV in my arm. The other arm was wrapped in gauze, and I could feel it throb. My breathing was wheezy and throat was sore. _Oh God, what happened? Why am I alone? Is Edward okay? Where's Edward?_

"Try to calm down," I heard a voice say as I was being pushed back onto the bed. I didn't even realize I had sat up. I looked to see the owner of the voice. Carlisle smiled down at me.

"Carlisle? Why am I here? What happened? Where's Edward?" The questions kept coming. I couldn't stop them.

"Edward is in the waiting room. I'll send him back in just a moment. I wanted to talk to you alone first." I could feel my anxiety heighten with those words. "Slow, deep breaths, Bella. There's nothing to worry about." He waited for me to calm again. "I'm going to let Edward explain what happened and why you're here. I didn't want to say anything in front of Edward in case you had specific plans to tell him."

"What are you talking about?"

"Bella, did you know you're pregnant?" I just stared at him blankly. _I'm not pregnant. I'm on birth control. I would know if I were._ He chuckled. "I'm going to take that as a no. We ran some tests. The baby is fine. My guess is that you're about seven weeks along. Congratulations."

"Really?" I could hear myself whisper. He just nodded while sporting a huge crooked grin, very similar to his son's. "I don't know what to think. We weren't trying. I'm on birth control. We discussed wanting to, and were planning on it soon. This is just unexpected. Oh God, what if he doesn't want kids right now? What if-"

"Bella, Edward will be ecstatic. Don't play the 'what if' game. Take this one-step at a time. You know what this means right?" I looked at him expectantly. "I'm going to be a grandpa." His face was beaming with pride. I groaned though and saw his face fall a bit. "Are you not happy?"

"Of course I'm happy. I'm just thinking about all that Alice and Esme are going to do when they find out." He laughed and nodded in understanding.

"Well, I think I've taken up enough of your time. Your husband has been pacing a hole in the floor since he arrived. I'm going to go get him, and don't worry. It's your news to tell." I nodded and relaxed back into the bed.

A baby. Pregnant. I was still trying to wrap my mind around it. Carlisle was right. Edward would be ecstatic, but what had happened? I could only remember lying down for a nap. The door opening interrupted my musing. I looked over to see Edward peeking in hesitantly. I smiled and held my hand out towards him. He crossed the room in three strides and pulled me hard against his chest. I could feel the tremors in his body.

"Baby, are you okay?" I asked. He pulled back only to pull me into a kiss. He pulled away and gripped my hand in his. With his free hand, he lightly ran his fingers over the gauze on my arm. "Edward, you're worrying me. What's going on? What happened? Why am I here?"

"You don't remember?" I shook my head no and told him that falling asleep was the last thing I remembered. "There…there was…there was a fire. The wiring in the laundry room was faulty and it caught fire. You must have been asleep before it started. The fireman said you were knocked out by the carbon monoxide. He said he found you on the bed barely breathing." His voice was thick with unshed tears. I reached out to caress his cheek, assuring him I was okay. He leaned into my touch and closed his eyes. "They had to break the window and get you out from there, because the fire was everywhere. They couldn't get into the house any other way.

"Charlie called me while I was still in the grocery store. I came to the hospital as quickly as I could. Dad was here. He took care of you. He says you are going to be fine. You've been out for quite a while. It's Sunday night.

"I was so worried. I should have never left since the laundry wasn't finished. I should have been there so that-"

"Stop it! Stop it right now! This is not your fault. You couldn't do anything about faulty wiring. Do _not _blame yourself for this. Promise me you won't blame yourself." He nodded but I could see the guilt and anguish in his face. He ran his fingers over the gauze again. "What happened there?"

"A piece of burning wood fell on your arm. It's a second degree burn, superficial though. It will heal in a few weeks, and there shouldn't even be any scarring as long as we take care of it properly." I nodded. He pulled me back to him for another kiss. "I love you, Bella. I love you more than anything. You mean everything to me."

"And I love you. Forever. I'm right here, Edward. I'm here, alive, and safe. There's nothing to worry about." He sighed and placed his forehead on mine. I figured this was as good a time as any. "Your dad came in to talk to me just before you came in. I've got some good news. I think I know why I've been so off lately." He leaned back to look at me, his hand rubbing my arm.

"That is good news. What's the diagnosis?" I paused, nervous about what his reaction would be. "Bella, what is it?"

"I'm, well, um, we're…we're pregnant." He looked shocked for a moment before my favorite crooked grin broke onto his face.

"Really? We are?" He could barely contain his excitement. He was bouncing on the bed, reminding me of Alice. I just laughed and nodded as tears filled my eyes. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect husband. He peppered my face with kisses as he wiped away my tears. "Oh, love. This is perfect. This is great. We're going to have a baby. I'm going to be a father. Oh, she's going to be gorgeous. I hope she has your eyes, love. We need to get you an appointment with an OB/GYN then we-"

"Edward, slow down. Let's just savor this for a moment. I can't think about that right now. And how do you know it's going to be a girl?" He shrugged and laid a hand on my stomach.

"Hi, baby," he leaned down and spoke to my navel. "It's your daddy. I can't wait to meet you." The tears that had dried up came back. I ran my fingers through his hair memorizing this moment. "You're going to be so loved. So many people have been waiting for you. You've already got two friends waiting too." I laughed and pulled him back up. He lay next to me while I curled into his body. One arm was under my neck the other laid protectively across my stomach.

"We can do this right?" I was starting to feel overwhelmed.

"We can, and we will. You're going to be a wonderful mother. There's nothing to worry about. This is great." I just needed that reassurance. The door swung open and in filed Alice, Jasper with Jackson, Rosalie, Emmett with Lillian, Charlie, Sue, Esme, and Carlisle.

"I'm sorry. I kept them out as long as I could," Carlisle said with a chuckle. Edward sat up and grabbed my hand.

"So, how are you?" Esme asked as she sat on the opposite side of Edward holding my other hand.

"They're perfect," Edward said without breaking eye contact with me.

"They?"

"Love?" His eyes were so tender, excited, and anxious at the same time. I nodded, giving my permission for him to share the news. He looked at Esme then to the gathered group. He let out a long breath while squeezing my hand. "We're pregnant."

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**AN: This is my first entry to any contest. It was fun to write and try to incorporate a cannibal and fireman. Haha I hope you like it. Review and let me know what you think. Add this story to your story alerts, and I'll keep you updated to when voting begins. I can't wait to read all the entries. :)**


	2. Voting Dates and Location

Hello,

Voting is finally starting for the Epic T-Rated Contest; thanks for being patient. Here's how the process will work:

Round one: June 22nd-26th. All entries will be included here.

Round two: June 29th-July 3rd. The top half (30-40 entries) from the first round will be included here.

Round three: July 6th-10th. The top half (20-30 entries) from the second round will be included here, and the top three winners will be determined.

The prizes will be either a banner, signature or cover for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners.

Thank you for participating! I loved your entry, and good luck. Be sure to let your readers know about the voting times. If you have any questions, PM me. I'll send you another message if you advance to the next round.

Bronze

The voting will be done in the form of a poll on her profile. Here is a link. .net/u/1421467/

* * *

**AN: Here is the PM I received from the contest manager. So, June 22nd is the first day of voting. Get excited! There were some really great entries. Here are a couple of my favorite I'm pulling for and hope you take a look at.**

**Our Little Secret by dreamzofhope**

**Mommy's Boyfriend is a Cannibal by BellaMadonna**

**They're both just cute one-shots. I hope they do well. Thanks everyone. **

**There is a C2 for the contest. There were 80 entries. Isn't that great. You should visit and read some. Talk to you soon. :)**


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